Sethra, the Vampire
by vampfire
Summary: Something I've wanted to try involving Sethra's seldom spoken of vampirism.
1. Chapter 1

Sethra 1  
  
By: vampfire  
  
A.N. A recent theme in my sci-fi/fantasy reading has been vampires and, well, Sethra was too tempting. This is just a fragment with no discernible plot. I'm interested to see what you Vlad fans think. (Believe it or not, I used to actually come up with titles for my stories. Sigh.) This part is R.  
  
Disclaimer: Only the poor taste and bad writing are mine; the world and characters belong to Steven Brust. Let me take a moment to gush about Steven Brust's writing, since I originally forgot to write a disclaimer and also to atone for what I do with SB's characters later on in this series. The Vlad novels were great. They had it all: an awesome world to play in, enormously likeable characters, sarcastic reptiles, interesting plots, and some of the wittiest, funniest dialogue and narrative ever. But what really earned my respect for SB's talent was reading the pre-Vlad novels and watching him take something that he'd made as legendary as Adron's Disaster and completely living up to it and then some.

* * *

Morrolan looked up in surprise as Sethra re-entered the library. He refrained from asking the obvious 'forget something?' as she crossed the room to his chair and stopped, hands folded serenely behind her back.  
  
"I cannot return to Dzur Mountain," she said, voice even.  
  
Morrolan blinked for a moment in stunned silence. "Cannot?"  
  
The Enchantress inclined her head, no longer meeting his eyes. "He is stronger than I gave him credit for. I should not have left the Mountain in my current state."  
  
A sense of icy dread began at the small of Morrolan's back and spread outward in all directions. He did not ask Sethra exactly what her 'current state' was, but had an aching suspicion that he already knew. There had been times, throughout their long acquaintance, that Sethra had looked even paler than usual and that, after a short absence, she had returned looking revitalized. This had always been in Dzur Mountain, however. Away from it, she merely looked pale.  
  
"Can I help?" he asked. "Surely the two of us combined could break through the teleport block, or whatever it is that he has done."  
  
Sethra continued to avoid his eyes in a way she never did, having the courage of both a Dragon and a Dzur. "Yes, you can help," she said quietly.  
  
Morrolan licked his lips, suddenly feeling something not unlike fear twisting in his stomach.  
  
She continued, "I need to regain my strength before I can defeat the measures he has taken. Then, once I am in the Mountain, I will be able to take care of him as we had planned."  
  
Gathering the courage of a Dragonlord and a herd of dzur, Morrolan stood and said in a surprisingly even voice, "Tell me what I must do."  
  
Sethra finally met his eyes. She looked just as uneasy as he did, which both reassured him and terrified him. "It would be best... if we could go to your rooms."  
  
They strode side by side through the corridors, Morrolan's fingers drifting to touch the hilt of Blackwand for reassurance. He knew, though his conscious mind would not yet admit it, what they were going to do. Sethra was undead. Thanks to an often-regretted conversation with the Necromancer, Morrolan knew there were a limited number of ways for the undead to gain power. Only one of those ways could have anything to do with Morrolan's private rooms.  
  
Morrolan automatically hung his sword on the wall by the door after entering his bedchamber. Sethra flicked a glance at the wall and hung Iceflame beside Blackwand. They stood uneasily in the center of the room, doors closed behind them.  
  
"Do you know what I will ask of you?" Sethra asked without preamble.  
  
Morrolan caught himself from saying 'no' and answered honestly, "Perhaps."  
  
Sethra sighed and turned slightly to pace away in agitation. "There are not so many ways for me to regain my strength... Away from Dzur Mountain, I know of only one, and it is not something I have to do often..." She paused by the bed and took a deep breath. "There are many inaccurate myths about vampires. The drinking of blood is not one of them."  
  
"I see," said Morrolan, walking up to her. Her obvious discomfort with the subject had eased his own. "Sethra, it would be very bad for everyone involved if this wizard is able to keep you away from Dzur Mountain long enough to invade. We will all do what is necessary to avoid that."  
  
She gave him a smile. "Sit down, Morrolan," she told him quietly.  
  
He did, heart pounding. She joined him on the edge of the bed and reached to unbutton the collar of his black dress shirt, proceeding down the buttoned front in a businesslike manner. Morrolan sat stoically with the shirt parted down the front, still tucked in, until she said conversationally, "It's a nice shirt, Morrolan; it would be a shame to spill blood onto it."  
  
Morrolan flushed slightly and hastened to pull the shirt off. He turned to her expectantly as though awaiting a blow, and Sethra gave him a more genuine smile, mirthful and slightly mischievous. "You will not find this unpleasant, I believe."  
  
Without giving him time to ponder that comment, she leaned in as if to kiss him. He felt the cool touch of her lips on the soft skin of his neck, then a sharp sudden pain.  
  
Morrolan cried out, jerking against Sethra and requiring her arms to come around and hold him still. The pain, to say the least, was completely gone. Or rather, it was completely unnoticeable in the sudden onslaught of arousal. Morrolan leaned into Sethra's embrace, shivering uncontrollably as lust rippled through his body.  
  
He was only vaguely aware that her lips were still sealed to his neck, that her arms around his naked torso were tight, urgently holding him to her so that she could continue.  
  
Morrolan discovered through the haze of pleasure that his eyes were open, that his vision was unfocused upon the ceiling. He could tell that he was spread back across the bed, that Sethra clutched him and drained his life away through his neck. But all this was secondary to the insistent need flooding his veins, provoking impossible sensations over every inch of his body. The pleasure spiraled ever upward, and suddenly he was closer to losing control than should have been possible in the mere moments that Sethra had been doing this to him.  
  
His back arched and his thoughts conflicted, shouting both "Yes, now!" and "Gods, stop!" Perhaps both had been delivered with the mental intensity necessary to become psionic communication, because at that moment Sethra released his neck.  
  
The crisis passed, and awareness of the world slowly returned as Morrolan's body calmed from its unnatural peak. He felt Sethra's arms leave his burning skin, felt her sit up from her reclined position, where she'd been curled against his side. After a moment, Morrolan discovered he had enough motor control to sit up as well.  
  
His eyes met hers, his expression completely unguarded. "Are you..." he cleared his throat, "Has your strength returned?"  
  
"It has," she said, and he could see it then. She looked radiant, vivid, alive... seductive, beautiful...  
  
She stood abruptly then, as if she'd read his thoughts. "Morrolan," she told him, "I am in your debt. For now, I must return to the Mountain and mount a defense. I will send word."  
  
She crossed the room to gather Iceflame then vanished in a teleport.  
  
Morrolan stared at the spot where she'd stood for several moments before allowing his weakened body to fall back until he was once again lying on the bed. He studied the ceiling distractedly as he tried to explain to himself what had just happened.  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Sethra 2  
  
By: vampfire  
  
Another short bit. Again, no plot. This part is PG-13.

* * *

Sethra had been watching Morrolan surreptitiously all evening. She'd started this upon discovering that Morrolan had been studying her surreptitiously all afternoon. The reason for his attention was obvious, and she had been enjoying amusement at his expense while contriving not to let him see how amused she was.  
  
The only un-amusing part was that amusement wasn't the only emotion Sethra Lavode was experiencing. Recent events had affected her in much the same way as they were obviously affecting Morrolan.  
  
Sethra sighed and debated whether to leave Castle Black tonight as she had all the previous nights since the evening she'd found her bite could leave Morrolan vulnerable as a Teckla in her arms.  
  
The decision was forced upon her when Aliera, the only other occupant of the library aside from herself and the Lord of Castle Black, quit the room.  
  
Morrolan's eyes flicked to Sethra and then away, apparently to study the potted plants in the corner.  
  
"What is it, Morrolan?" Sethra said, with a slight smile.  
  
"Whatever do you mean?" Morrolan attempted to say innocently, though the slight reddening of his face betrayed him.  
  
"You've been about to tell me something all night. Now that Aliera's gone to conquer the Marquis, I assumed you were ready to spit it out." Sethra walked toward him, taking the offensive now that she had made her decision.  
  
Morrolan held his ground, which only prompted Sethra to test him further, and she didn't stop walking until she was just inside comfortable conversing distance.  
  
"So what is it that you wish to tell me?" Sethra asked quietly, provocatively.  
  
Morrolan managed a slight smile, despite his pounding heart. "Ask you, actually," he corrected. "I just... haven't been able to find the right words..." For a moment, he seemed as though he were desperately trying to continue talking, but all at once gave up and leaned in to kiss her.  
  
Sethra, though startled, kissed him back and his boldness melted away. He made no move closer, no move to touch or embrace her, but motionlessly received her passionate kiss. Sethra ended it softly and pulled back to see his face.  
  
"Have you found your words yet?" Sethra managed to ask him, deadpan.  
  
"No," he breathed. "Give me a while longer..." His arms went around her then and he kissed her, more confidently now.  
  
Sethra was now on the defensive, but although it was her preferred strategy in battle, the General herself found the offensive equally satisfying and attempted to regain it. She backed Morrolan into the wall and felt his arms tighten about her, pressing the full length of his body into hers.  
  
Her fingers were in his straight black hair, running through the thick length of it as she'd been thinking about doing all week. The feel of his warm, firm body against hers reminded her of the night when less than ideal circumstances had forced her to replenish her resources in a way she had not used in over eight centuries. She'd forgotten, in all those years, how utterly satisfying it was to drink blood. And she found herself wanting to have the experience with none but Morrolan.  
  
He broke off and held her slightly away from him, his breathing rapid. "Teleport?" he asked.  
  
She nodded and Morrolan took them to his rooms, which Sethra took a moment to observe, deciding she was familiar enough with them to be able to teleport here herself, which was a decidedly appealing thought. At last, her gaze returned to Morrolan, who was staring at her distractedly.  
  
The last time she had been here, he'd been standing in nearly the same spot, looking nearly as nervous, right before she'd given him a shock as she bit into his neck. Sethra reached out to cup her hand to his cheek, making him shiver. Their friendly sharing of blood had gone further than she'd planned. She'd barely released him in time to prevent his body from going over the edge and her with him. The memory brought a rush of desire, but she held firm to her previous decision.  
  
"No blood the first time," she told him, stepping into his arms and allowing their lips to find each other.  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Sethra 3  
  
By: vampfire  
  
Okay, enter Vlad and my switch to first person. Still PG-13 rating.

* * *

I still couldn't teleport, use psionic communication, or, well, do anything that I'd grown accustomed to being able to rely on in times of crisis. I ran through Castle Black, I think hoping to run smack into Morrolan, at which point I could ask for help.  
  
At some point, I found one of the men Morrolan had working security for him. I recognized him from when I'd been in charge of restructuring Castle Black's defenses so many years past. He told me Morrolan was still in his rooms.  
  
Of course he was, seeing as it was still early morning. I threw a quick "Thanks" over my shoulder as I set out for Morrolan's rooms at a dead run. I halted at the outer door, but no one answered to my clapping. I went in tentatively, only to find it an empty sitting room. The doors exiting it went to all sorts of other rooms, none of which turned out to be occupied, and I gave up courtesy, swinging doors open left and right as I tore through the rooms and wondered if this maze was meant to be part of Morrolan's security system.  
  
At about this point, I pulled open a door that looked just like all the former ones, except for the fact that this one led to the actual bedroom. I didn't realize this until I had barged through the door and come upon a very naked Dragonlord. He was lounging more or less flat on his back, arms folded behind his head and, uh... obviously _very_ happy about something.  
  
Morrolan was tall, even for a Dragaeran. And let's just say the rest of him was similarly proportioned. Morrolan's eyes met mine and the expression spreading over his face was one I knew too well, though I'd never before had the full brunt of the Dragonlord's rage directed at me personally. I can't say I recommend the experience.  
  
My feet wouldn't obey my command to _move_, damn you! And just then, perhaps a whole second after I'd entered the room and skidded to a halt, a woman came out of a side door that I had (understandably) failed to notice. I think I would have failed to notice an entire army of assassins bearing down on me at that moment. Because it was none other than Sethra Lavode, the Enchantress of Dzur Mountain. Blessedly, she was dressed, though only in a robe.  
  
She turned to me with surprise written all over her face. "Um, good morning, Vlad," Sethra said slowly, her expression settling into one of great amusement. I imagine my own face was either pale as death or redder than the Dragaeran sky.  
  
She stood where she was, clearly expecting some sort of explanation from me. She still looked amused. But then, she wasn't the one naked. I braved a glance at Morrolan, who was sitting up and had pulled the sheets up to cover his lap. He looked very much like he would like to be holding Blackwand just then, and I had cause to be grateful he didn't take the Morganti great sword to bed with him.  
  
By that point I think four or five years had passed while I stood there like an idiot. I cleared my throat and managed, "Um, there was a life-or- death matter I wanted your help with, but I think I'll just plead with them to make the kill quick and clean..."  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Sethra 4  
  
By: vampfire  
  
I'll continue talking in author's notes as though anyone were actually reading these. The first thing I should say is that I wrote several of these separately with no intention of stringing them together. This part, however, is a companion to Sethra 3. WARNING about this chapter: It has, er, male/male overtones. Nothing graphic though. I'll rate it R to be safe. Also, I'm now using first-person Morrolan, if that is not apparent.

* * *

I had spent the evening in Sethra's most pleasant embrace. We have been enjoying a very satisfying affair for the past several months, fueled entirely by our lust for each other and the discovery that we both crave the sensations produced when I allow Sethra to drink of my blood.  
  
The entire experience is made even the more pleasant, in my opinion, by the fact that our physical intimacy has changed our friendship not a wit. We remain very at ease in each other's company and confine our passion to the bedroom. There has been virtually no awkwardness on either of our parts, even when I made various provoking comments about the flustered attentions a certain Dragonlord of the e'Lanya line had been displaying towards Sethra. I do not even think Aliera has caught on to what has been going on between Sethra and myself.  
  
As I said, we had both been free that evening and had passed the time in my bedchamber. I awoke early the next morning and returned from a brief bath to find Sethra stirring. The Enchantress smiled at me, removed the towel wrapped around my waist, and did things to me that reminded my body of the previous evening.  
  
She pulled me down to the bed and to her warm body, but then left me there, pretending to require a few moments to wash up in the next room. I knew she was enjoying teasing me, but stretched out my legs and leaned back into the pillow, my arms folded behind my head and determined to appear relaxed rather than dying for her return.  
  
It was then that the door to my room burst open and a figure skidded to a halt at the foot of my bed. I felt a rage begin to come over me, though I was still too shocked to move. It was then that I noticed who the intruder was, even as I felt his startled gaze move over my naked body and snag on my groin.  
  
I felt my body throb with intense, renewed arousal. It was Vlad. The last person in the world that I would have thought to see today in Castle Black, much less in my own bedroom. It occurred to me then that I'd once fantasized something very like this situation bringing Vlad to my bedroom. Though as I remember it, the fantasy had not included Sethra Lavode.  
  
For Sethra had returned, wearing my black silk robe and a smile of pure amusement. I gathered the sheets into my lap, though close inspection would show that they did not do much to conceal the distinct shape beneath them.  
  
Vlad's face was by this time a deep red. He stammered a response to Sethra's questions, and I had to refrain from laughing aloud at how thoroughly embarrassed he was. I wanted to invite him to join us in bed just to see his reaction.  
  
Well, all right, that wasn't the only reason. But, damnit, now was not the time for me to start lusting after Vlad Taltos all over again. For one thing, it wasn't at all fair to Sethra. I scowled.  
  
Vlad made his escape at last, and I worried a moment that he was in danger and that we had done nothing to help him, simply because of his poor timing.  
  
Sethra laughed and couldn't seem to stop. "Don't worry for him, Morrolan," she managed to tell me. "I've set up a teleport block. That'll keep out the assassins long enough for us to find out what help he wanted. But let's give him a moment to recover before we talk."  
  
Sethra sat down on the bed, mastering her mirth. Her face sobered as she looked at me. "You want him, don't you?"  
  
"That's a fine thing to ask while you share my bed!" I told her, wondering how she'd read me so well.  
  
Sethra smiled at me and kissed my face lightly before curling up by my side and closing her eyes. "You are certainly a lot of fun, Morrolan," she said, eyes still closed and utterly relaxed. "And I count you among my closest friends and will continue to do so whether we share a bed or not."  
  
Her eyes opened then and she gave me her enigmatic Lavode smile. "But I know very well how you feel about Vlad." Here she trailed her hand down my torso to touch the rock-hard arousal that had been caused in no small part by Vlad's sudden appearance. "Damn," she muttered, surprised. "I take it back; perhaps I am jealous." She played with my body some more, simultaneously shrugging out of the robe. "Do you think we have a few moments before we should go and save him from the assassins?"  
  
I simply nodded as she slid on top of me and her lips covered mine.  
  



	5. Chapter 5

Undead 1  
  
By: vampfire  
  
Finally some action, though we won't presume to use the word "plot." This stands alone. It is rated R, and you can choose to read Morrolan as straight or bi in this, it's not obviously written one way or the other. It has a sequel, which is male/male and very R rated, which you obviously can choose not to read if that offends you. Oh, and back to ambiguous and somewhat arbitrary third-person viewpoint.

* * *

It was obvious that the last of Vlad's strength had been used for the teleport. He arrived in the library at Castle Black and promptly collapsed to the floor, blood already soaking into Morrolan's carpet. Aliera rushed over to him; it took her no time at all to decide this was far outside of her physicking skills.  
  
"Get Sethra," she ordered Morrolan, and began stripping Vlad's shirt off without disturbing the two daggers his torso had acquired. Morrolan walked over a moment later with a stack of bandages, which Aliera used to wrap Vlad's arm, which was almost sliced in two, longways up his forearm.  
  
She saw Morrolan's eyes widen, not at the dagger buried in Vlad's chest, but at the second one low in his back, right along his spine, and said, "Wait for Sethra."  
  
Morrolan moved aside when Sethra appeared and watched as she assessed Vlad's condition. "I can't do any better than you, Aliera. If we manage to stabilize him, he'll be paralyzed for the rest of his life. If he dies, I doubt either of us will be able to revivify him."  
  
Aliera nodded, "I was thinking of the third alternative."  
  
Sethra looked startled, and she glanced down at Vlad's body as though seeing it for the first time. "Well, there is that," she said slowly. She glanced at Aliera again, as if wondering whether this was all some sort of trick, but then focused her attention entirely on Vlad.  
  
Morrolan watched as her hand wrapped around the first dagger's hilt. It pulled free with a wash of blood and Vlad screamed, though he didn't thrash about or convulse. The reason for his paralysis was the irreparable damage to his spinal cord caused by the second dagger, which Sethra proceeded to pull free without ceremony. Vlad was screaming uncontrollably, and the nearly inhuman sounds were making Morrolan shiver all over.  
  
Sethra did not seem unduly concerned. She spoke to Vlad softly in words Morrolan could not make out, but he could feel the power building in the room. Sorcery, potent and concentrated on Vlad's dying body. Aliera stood and moved to Morrolan's side to watch, her expression carefully controlled.  
  
Aliera looked as though she knew what was going on, which confused Morrolan until he saw Sethra lean over Vlad's body to kiss the gaping hole in his chest through which he was losing his life blood. Then it hit Morrolan what she was doing.  
  
Morrolan had personal knowledge of the lesser-known aspects of Sethra's vampirism. He had fed her more than once, in the traditional way a vampire fed, though only the first time had been from dire need. No, the following occasions of donating blood had been for less noble reasons, for to give blood to a vampire produced pleasure unlike anything...  
  
Sethra was wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Suddenly, she bit her wrist, tearing it open in a ragged cut.  
  
She leaned over Vlad and pressed her bleeding wrist to his mouth. Morrolan knew the exact moment that Vlad swallowed some of Sethra's blood; the air filled with the distinct sensation of a spell being brought to bear. A snap sounded throughout the room, audible to all three sorcerers present. Vlad's body stilled, the blood spilling from his chest seemed to slow, and it was obvious he was dead.  
  
Sethra stood, steadily and quite serenely. "I need to take him to Dzur Mountain. Aliera... I could use your help, I think."  
  
"Certainly," she said, looking up from her dazed study of Vlad's still frame.  
  
Without being asked, Morrolan came forward and stooped to pick up the shorter man, that is, the corpse of his friend. He clenched his teeth against the sudden emotion, the rational side of his brain assuring the sentimental side that, whatever had just happened, Vlad was not as dead as he seemed.  
  
Sethra raised her hands and lowered them in a sudden motion that caused the four of them to disappear. Morrolan found himself in a part of Dzur Mountain he'd never seen before. Sethra directed him to lay Vlad's body on a low table, which he did.  
  
He then stood by and watched as Aliera and Sethra painstakingly repaired the wounds in Vlad's chest and back, though the wound along his spine left more damage than the mere puncture of his flesh. Vlad was unrevivifiable. When they were done, Sethra glanced at the bandage on his arm and gestured at if off-handedly, setting a healing spell in place.  
  
Soon the three of them stood beside each other, staring down at a healed, very bloody, very dead Vlad Taltos. "We should clean him up," Aliera said suddenly.  
  
"Yes," agreed Sethra, turning to Morrolan with a pointed look. The only thing that he wanted to do less than wash the blood from an Easterner, reflected Morrolan to himself, was wash the blood from a very dead looking Easterner who happened to be his friend. Morrolan lifted Vlad again, stifling a sigh, and took him to the bath Sethra showed him. Morrolan performed a quick heating spell on the water stored there, stripped the remainder of Vlad's bloody clothing from his body, and located the soap.  
  
To distract himself from the unnerving clammy feel of Vlad's dead skin, Morrolan began reviewing a complicated witchcraft spell in his head. When he was done he rinsed Vlad with the lukewarm water, and it ran away towards the drain tinged pink with blood.  
  
A drying spell and then the task of struggling to get fresh clothing onto Vlad while simultaneously holding him upright. Morrolan was exhausted by the time he carried the corpse of his friend back to Sethra and his cousin.  
  
"If that is all," Morrolan told them after settling Vlad onto a large bed. "I will return to Castle Black."  
  
"Yes, thank you," he heard Sethra say, just before the teleport took effect.

* * *

"You look nervous," Aliera pointed out.  
  
Sethra gave her a withering glance then sighed and admitted, "I have never done this before. It will be... a rather personal experience. I would not have you here except that I am not certain that something won't go terribly wrong, and it would be nice to have help at hand."  
  
"I see," Aliera said. Then, cautiously, "He needs blood, doesn't he?"  
  
"Yes," Sethra said tersely. She continued to stare down at the still figure on the bed, who looked very pale in the black clothing Morrolan had dressed him in.  
  
Sethra sat gingerly on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath before reaching out to Vlad, settling one hand flat on his chest, above his heart. She spoke softly until Vlad's eyes snapped open.  
  
He tried to sit up, but winced in weakness and pain, and the tension drained from his muscles as he slumped back down. That slight movement, however, proved that Aliera's idea and Sethra's actions had worked. Vlad was neither dead nor paralyzed.  
  
"Here, Vlad," Sethra told him, quietly offering her wrist. She laid it against his lips. His eyes rolled to settle on her as if to ask what the hell was going on, but then instinct jumped in and his body at least knew exactly what to do. Sethra gasped when Vlad bit her wrist. Aliera started forward, then forced herself to still.  
  
Sethra had collapsed further onto the bed, moaning softly. Vlad's eyes closed and his hand rose shakily from the covers to grip her arm. His hand continued to shake in extreme weakness, but it was clear he wasn't about to let her pull her wrist away.  
  
Sethra's breath was coming in hard gasps, and Aliera wondered at what point she was supposed to step in and save her. Sethra moaned again, writhing on the bed against Vlad's body. Aliera blushed and looked away as it finally occurred to her that Sethra's reactions were not in response to pain.  
  
A moment later, her eyes were drawn back to the bed as Sethra's glazed eyes turned her way and she managed to say, "Stop him. "  
  
Aliera strode quickly to the bed and began to pry Vlad's fingers from around Sethra's wrist, purposefully tuning out what was happening to Sethra in the meantime. But Vlad had grown stronger with the blood, and he wouldn't let go. "Vlad," Aliera said then repeated more urgently, "Vlad!"  
  
His eyes opened and Aliera saw nothing of her friend in his gaze. She suddenly realized that Sethra's life was not the only thing in the balance now; she had to pull him back to sanity...  
  
Aliera drew Pathfinder, thrusting the Great Weapon nearly under Vlad's nose. He recoiled in horror.  
  
Vlad released Sethra's wrist and slid back so he was sitting against the bed's headboard. "Okay," he said. "I'm okay now." Aliera watched a thin line of Sethra's blood trickle from his lips and wasn't sure if she agreed with him, but sheathed the sword.  
  
Sethra took a moment to collect herself then stood shakily. Vlad looked at her and his expression shifted to dismay, to shock. "Sethra..."  
  
She shook her head, even smiling some. "It was necessary. I will recover shortly... and you should rest now." Sethra stood carefully and left the room.  
  
Vlad was shaking, shivering where he sat amongst the pillows. Aliera recruited the courage to approach him, and put a tentative hand on his shoulder. "How are you feeling, Vlad?"  
  
Vlad looked at her, and what had just happened seemed to sink in. "I'm going to be sick," he managed and lurched toward the edge of the bed.  
  
Aliera helped him stumble to the bathroom, where he bent over the chamber pot and heaved violently, though none of the blood he'd just been drinking came up. After a bit, Vlad was able to straighten, though he was shivering all over. Aliera helped him clean up. He had to lean heavily on her to get back to the bed.  
  
Vlad was still shivering when Aliera pulled the covers over him and sat down on the edge of the bed. He had closed his eyes, and his skin looked pasty. Aliera laid a hand on his forehead and discovered he was burning up. She made a note to ask Sethra later if that was normal then decided she'd rather not hear Sethra tell her that she didn't know.  
  
"Aliera," Vlad said, speaking to her for the first time since she'd pulled him away from Sethra. "Am I... undead?" His voice came out scratchy and his eyes met hers, fearful.  
  
"I'm sorry, Vlad," she told him sincerely. "Would it have been better if I'd let you die?"  
  
He considered that for a moment, reliving the fight that had ended up with two daggers buried in his body. It had taken every skill he possessed to make his attacker lose the Morganti blade that he had begun the assault with. He'd been incredibly lucky that it was only plain steel that had finally taken him out. "No," he told her. "I'm glad you got Sethra to do it. Maybe one day, I'll thank you."  
  
She smiled. "Perhaps. Are you... how do you feel?"  
  
"Better," he admitted. "Exhausted. Where," he asked suddenly, "Where is Loiosh? I can't hear him. He can't be, he can't be dead, he..."  
  
Vlad was edging towards panic. Aliera reached out and gripped his shoulder. "We don't know, Vlad. He wasn't with you in the teleport. Look, Vlad, you can't do anything about him now. It's likely you're just too weak to reach him. I know I couldn't contact you psionically right now."  
  
"Oh," Vlad said, calming some. "You've got a point." The tension drained out of him and he slumped back to the bed. "Tomorrow I'll be better; I'll reach him then... he's probably fine..." His eyes were once again closed, and she watched him fall into sleep.  
  
Aliera made her way to Sethra's preferred sitting room when visiting with guests and chose a chair by the fireplace. Presently, Chas arrived and served her wine.  
  
Not too much later, Sethra Lavode made an appearance, sinking into the chair nearest Aliera without a word of greeting. "How is he?"  
  
"Sleeping. He seemed weak; will he recover on his own now?"  
  
"No," Sethra said.  
  
Aliera waited patiently, but no explanation was forthcoming. Aliera frowned. She'd studied some of the theory behind the undead, but there was so much that simply wasn't known. There was even less known about the various processes by which one could become undead. Then she realized what was missing. "He needs human blood." Aliera blushed and corrected herself, "That is, blood from a _living_ human."  
  
"Yes. It would be best if he had it soon. Tomorrow if possible."  
  
Aliera nodded, knowing what the best approach would be. "If you'll excuse me..."  
  
Aliera teleported to Castle Black, greeted Lady Teldra warmly, and inquired Morrolan's whereabouts.

* * *

She explained the situation patiently to the increasingly uncomfortable Dragonlord.  
  
"Well, why aren't you volunteering then?"  
  
"Morrolan, I'm Vlad's sister!"  
  
"Not precisely," he murmured.  
  
"Close enough," she said decisively. "Morrolan, I watched him with Sethra."  
  
Morrolan blanched. First there was the fact that Sethra, who Morrolan had donated blood to on more than one occasion, had shared such an experience with Vlad. Then there was the fact that it was _Vlad_...  
  
"You've done this with Sethra, haven't you?" Aliera said softly.  
  
Morrolan glared at her. "Even if I have, that is entirely different. First of all, Sethra and I..." He swallowed the words in time to prevent their being said aloud. "And Vlad is..."  
  
"Male?" Aliera asked, unable to suppress a slight smile.  
  
"Well, I'm glad you find this so amusing!" Morrolan said angrily. He turned away, began to pace, stopped and said, "Fine. When?"  
  
"Tomorrow. At your convenience."  
  
Morrolan bit off a harsh comment about when it might be convenient and said evenly, "If that is all, cousin, I have business to attend to."  
  
"That is all, Morrolan," she told him. Then, quietly, "Thank you," and she quit the room.

* * *

Sethra looked up from her study of the floor as she heard Vlad shift on the bed before her chair. He'd come out of the feverish state that had worried her earlier then fallen into unpeaceful dreams that seemed to feature Morganti weapons prominently. He was quiet now, lying still as though the thrashing about had exhausted him.  
  
"Kiera?" he asked, uncertainly.  
  
Sethra reached to take his lifeless hand in hers. "I'm here, Vlad."  
  
"I'm sorry, Kiera," he muttered, still more asleep than awake.  
  
"So am I," she returned softly as he faded off again.

* * *

Sethra was still there when he awoke. Vlad managed to sit up on his own and swing his legs over the side of the bed, but standing took considerable effort. He steadied himself against the bed and watched the room spin.  
  
Wordlessly, Sethra helped him cross the room to the bathroom and, a few minutes later, back to the bed. The simple effort left Vlad winded and dizzy. He settled into an upright position leaning against a pile of pillows and asked, "Why am I so weak?"  
  
Sethra looked at him contemplatively before telling him, "You need the blood of one who is living."  
  
"Oh." Vlad closed his eyes a minute and reopened them slowly, but the room was still tilting slowly to the left. He tried to marshal his drifting thoughts and remember why it was that he wasn't too keen on drinking blood again.  
  
Then the memories hit him, vivid images of what had happened between him and Sethra. His body started to react to the memory and he quickly tried to think of something else. "What happens if I don't get 'blood from one who is living'?"  
  
"You die."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Sethra looked at him sympathetically. "Because of the way in which you became undead, you required first my blood and now that of the living. If you are lucky, you'll never have to drink blood again after this... unless you so desire. I can teach you other ways to recruit your strength."  
  
"Okay," Vlad said. "Whose blood am I getting now?"  
  
Sethra paused a moment then said, "Morrolan's."  
  
The ramifications of this took a moment to sink in. Vlad felt his pale face flush red. "Oh," he said again.

* * *

Morrolan was sweating. He had looked at everything else in the room except the Easterner on the bed. He was scowling even more than usual. These facts had not escaped Sethra Lavode. She turned to him now and said, "I will stay in case he loses control and tries to drink longer than..."  
  
"No."  
  
"Morrolan, really it would be best if..."  
  
"No," he interrupted again, angry eyes meeting hers. "I am more than capable of handling him."  
  
After a tense moment, she gave him a small bow, anger barely contained, and left them.  
  
Morrolan remained facing the door she'd left through, his back to Vlad. He scowled at himself, largely because his body was eager for the effect Sethra's bite always had on him, despite the fact that it would be Vlad who...  
  
Morrolan turned abruptly and marched to the bed. Vlad was seated in the middle, his back propped against the tall wooden headboard. "Look, I don't like this any better than you do, you know."  
  
"Just... don't speak, Vlad," Morrolan managed between gritted teeth. He sat on the bed, willing his heart to quit pounding and his over-sensitive body to stand down.  
  
"Okay," Vlad said. "Can I, uh, have your wrist?"  
  
Morrolan rolled up a sleeve and held out his arm, thinking he might be able to brace himself for the inevitable... "Gods..." he gasped, collapsing fully onto the bed, feeling his muscles tense, his body harden.  
  
Vlad was more vicious than Sethra, perhaps because he was so desperate for the blood that would make him whole again. The first few waves of desire that coursed through Morrolan's body brought him nearly to the edge. He was flat on his back, sprawled across the bed, touching the other man only through their connection at Morrolan's wrist.  
  
Desire swallowed him whole and he could no longer see the room around him. The pleasure washed over him roughly, again and again. He slowly became aware that he was moaning continuously, that Vlad was making similar sounds beside him, along with the sucking sound his lips made on the Dragon's wrist.  
  
Suddenly, Morrolan was _there_, hardly aware that he was screaming in pleasure. His body thrust upward, spilling over in hot waves. But he was no longer fully connected to it; he was somewhere beyond the physical existence of his body and there was only sensation after intense sensation.  
  
Distantly, through the indescribable bliss, Morrolan realized this had lasted far longer than it should, that his body had emptied and still the pain built, for now it was pain, and there was Vlad beside him, still devouring his blood. Detachedly, Morrolan watched as Vlad drained away his life through his arm.  
  
Morrolan groaned and punched Vlad with his free fist, squarely in the side of his head. Vlad released his wrist, stunned. Fortunately, Morrolan hadn't had the strength to put much behind the blow. He slowly re-entered his own body to find he was still writhing uncontrollably, pain and pleasure tearing through him.  
  
He rode it out as it subsided, trying to stop groaning, trying to control his body. His wrist was a bloody mess, but there was nothing he could do about it now, when he couldn't so much as turn his head away from the sight of it. Vlad was in his vision now too, staring at him in horror. "Morrolan..."  
  
"Shut up," Morrolan managed to whisper, "Just..." He finished the sentence in his own head as he slid into blessed unconsciousness.

* * *

Vlad came back to himself slowly, his mouth tasting oddly metallic... like blood. His eyes snapped open and he sat up in bed, discovering simultaneously that his weakness had vanished and that Morrolan had not.  
  
The Dragonlord was asleep beside him on the bed, looking unhealthily pale. Vlad blushed as he remembered the feel of the blood on his lips, the intense need it had brought with it. Feeding on Morrolan had felt... amazing. The first time, with Sethra, he had obviously been too weakened to fully participate in the experience. But this time, the moment he'd bitten down on the pulse beating rapidly in Morrolan's wrist, sensations had exploded within him, something had taken control of him that lusted after the blood the same way Vlad's body had suddenly yearned for release.  
  
It would be best, Vlad thought with sudden clarity, if I were not here when he wakes up.  
  
Vlad suddenly realized he was missing Loiosh's rejoiner to that thought and remembered what was wrong... _"Loiosh?"_ he asked desperately.  
  
_"Boss!"_ The jhereg sounded ecstatic. _"Where are you? Hold on, you're not like on the other side of Deathgate, are you? I don't know how I feel about being a familiar to a dead guy."  
  
"How about an undead guy?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"We should talk... where are you? Oh, damn, I'll get back to you. There's a Dragonlord waking up who isn't going to be very happy with me..."  
_  
Vlad was a second too late. Morrolan was looking at him, his face yet emotionless. He seemed to check himself over to make sure he was all in one piece then sat up on the side of the bed, which put his back to Vlad. Vlad could tell from the careful way he moved that he was suffering from the blood loss.  
  
Without looking at him again, Morrolan stood shakily and teleported.  
  



	6. Chapter 6

Undead 2  
  
By: vampfire  
  
WARNING: Don't read this if slash, or particularly, slash applied to Vlad and company, who are all admittedly very straight, bothers you. While logic seems to say any slash with straight characters must necessarily be out-of-character, I think this is as in-character as possible, if that makes any sense. This is rated an exceptionally strong R.

* * *

_"Say, Boss, do you realize you're now 'Vlad, the Vampire'?"_  
  
_"Shut up, Loiosh."_  
  
_"Come on, that's funny. You could introduce yourself that way at parties. Oh, oh... how about 'The Vampire Vladimir'?"_  
  
I shook my head in exasperation. _"For one thing, I won't be going to any parties any time soon. The Jhereg still wants my ass, remember?"  
_  
_"I thought Sethra said you'd be okay."_  
  
That had been a scary moment. When Sethra Lavode told me I was safe from Morganti weapons, I'd had a sickening thought, which I voiced immediately: "Does that mean I don't have a soul anymore?"  
  
She smiled then, beautifully. I think she was loving this new apprenticeship. Sure she's had dozens of apprentices (each of which tried to kill her, by the way) but none who had been undead like she was. "You most certainly have your soul, Vlad. I'm not sure how to explain how Morganti work in a way that you would understand, but the way they access living souls doesn't always work on the undead." She was caressing the hilt of Iceflame as she said it, so I don't know how reassured I was supposed to be.  
  
Recalling a particularly unforgettable face-off with an undead Athyra wizard, I said, "I've watched an undead wizard get killed by a Morganti. It sure worked on him."  
  
"Loraan?" Sethra said, with a sudden smile. "That was a rather unique circumstance. You and young Savn had a little help." I did not want to know what Sethra had been doing to Loraan at the time to make him less invincible to Morganti. I knew now that Sethra had been keeping track of me during my exile even before Kiera and I had unraveled the secrets of the House of the Orca, but that didn't mean I was comfortable with the knowledge.  
  
I turned away from the memory to Loiosh, who was wondering where I'd slipped off to after his comment about introducing myself as a vampire at parties. _"Did you ever stop to consider what they're going to do when they find out that sticking me with Morganti knives doesn't have the desired effect?_ You're _not undead, you know."_  
  
I felt him shudder and immediately stuck my hand out to trail down his scaly neck, sorry that I'd been so blunt. I'd worried about the assassins going after Loiosh well before I'd become a vampire.

* * *

Though I saw Aliera some as her social schedule permitted (please note the sarcasm), Morrolan was apparently in hiding. I figured he was pissed about the, um, whatever the hell had gone on between us when I'd drunk his blood.  
  
It didn't really bother me anymore. I wasn't exactly used to the idea of drinking blood, but I didn't need to be; Sethra had assured me I could live a happy undead life without ever turning into a stereotypical bloodthirsty vampire again. Unless I wanted to.  
  
There was that. Drinking from Morrolan had felt great, better than any sex I'd ever had. But it wasn't sex, and I hadn't even, um, gone off. Morrolan had though. And through the telepathic link we'd shared from the moment I'd bit his arm, I'd been along for the ride. It was really personal, even if it had been necessary to save my life. So I could understand if he never wanted to see me again. Not that I didn't miss him; I mean, we'd been friends since... well, since he and Sethra had ruthlessly set me up to carry out their plans to rescue Aliera.  
  
I'd been undead for a month, and had pretty much given up hope of ever seeing Morrolan again, when he appeared in Sethra's sitting room, pretending that nothing had happened.  
  
"Vlad," Morrolan greeted. I inclined my head in greeting, not showing how excited I was to see a real living human being, er, Dragaeran for the first time in weeks.  
  
"Sethra told me you've been restless. Have you explored the entire Mountain yet?"  
  
"It'd take longer than a month to do that."  
  
He smiled knowingly. I wondered how much of the Mountain he'd seen. I'd never been able to peg his relationship with Sethra. If rumor was true, they'd met when the young Dragonlord had charged up Dzur Mountain to demand that all who lived there pay him a tribute, since it was technically on his property. Any other Dragaeran on the planet would have known this action was ludicrous, that it was certain death to demand anything of the Enchantress of Dzur Mountain. I rather think Sethra must have been amused.  
  
That was about the time that Zerika was rebuilding the Empire, which, if you're counting, was centuries before I was born. But a mere blink of an eye to Sethra Lavode, who'd lived tens of centuries... I froze in shock as I finally realized what being undead meant. I'd live as long as a Dragaeran now. Longer if I could stay ahead of Jhereg assassins.  
  
"What's wrong?" Morrolan asked, concerned. Since it seemed to be my moment for making startling realizations, it occurred to me then that Morrolan was acting uncertain about me, perhaps wondering if the Vlad he knew was the same man standing here now, pale as death.  
  
"Nothing," I lied, gesturing to the chairs beside us. "Why don't you sit down?" Damn, was I the host now? Would I be living here, hiding in Dzur Mountain, for the next couple centuries?  
  
I could tell Morrolan hadn't bought it, but he let it slide without pestering me about it. "Actually, I came to see if you wanted to go out."  
  
"Oh, right," I said. "Since I'm so restless. Sure, let's go out. Maybe I could pop in to see how Kragar's doing. Or eat a couple meals at Valabar's again before the Jhereg sets anything up."  
  
Morrolan smiled slightly, I guess deciding I was the same after all. "I was thinking of some exercise. How's your wrist held up all these years running about the countryside?"  
  
I refuse to admit what I first thought he was referring to, and it wasn't fencing. I sort of stared at him until he continued, "You did manage to find time to practice fencing in between robbing bandits and sleeping with minstrels, didn't you?"  
  
Damn, how'd he found out about that? I must not have been hiding as well as I thought if both Morrolan and Sethra had kept such good tabs on me.  
  
"Are you challenging me to a duel?" I deadpanned.  
  
"Now why would I do that after all the trouble we've all gone to in order to keep you alive?" he wondered. I smirked at his assumption that he would win the hypothetical duel. It was actually a pretty good assumption; I knew of no one who could best Morrolan in a battle of steel. He clarified, "I was thinking more of getting some practice."  
  
"Sparring with Blackwand?" I responded, not about to deliberately test Sethra's comment about Morganti. "Excuse me if I decline that offer."  
  
"Not with Blackwand," Morrolan said with a smile. "I am capable of wielding other weapons, you know. Though Blackwand does lust after you almost as much as..." He stopped the sentence before it went somewhere he didn't want it to. "Besides, I will set up a protection spell to prevent us from hurting each other."  
  
"I don't think it'd be wise for me to just show up at Castle Black and let everyone know where I am," I said, wondering why the hell Blackwand lusted after my soul. And I'd been terrified of that sword _before_...  
  
"Oh, don't worry about that," Morrolan said off-handedly. "I have a private practice yard."  
  
"I know, but one of your guards could see me. And guards can be bribed. I don't want anyone on the planet to know where I am. Except you and Aliera and Sethra, assuming you can't be bribed."  
  
He drew up the dignity to look insulted over the bribery comment, but then had the chance to look smug, Morrolan's favorite expression, as he told me, "Actually, Vlad, these are practice grounds that even you don't know about."  
  
I gave him a questioning look. I used to be in charge of updating Morrolan's security. I knew things about Castle Black that no one except Morrolan knew. I'd once been able to find out within moments how many guests were at the perpetual party, the present location of each of the seldom-seen witches of Morrolan's enclave, whether or not Morrolan had a woman in his bedroom and how many hours they'd been in there...  
  
"Okay," I said. "Let me get my rapier." I told Loiosh psionically that I was going to go practice fencing; he was outside on the mountain chasing small mammals. Guess I wasn't the only one who'd been getting restless.  
  
A few moments later we were in Castle Black, in the tower with no windows. Well, no real windows. Morrolan walked up to the Window that let him look upon any place in existence and maybe some that weren't and brought up a scene of stark desert, lit by the setting furnace.  
  
We walked through, though I couldn't suppress the slight shudder Morrolan's Window always gave me. It was just so... unnatural.  
  
I looked around as Morrolan started towards the lone building in front of us. Oh. Not a building, a wall, enclosing his "private" practice grounds.  
  
"Where the hell is this place?" I asked, looking around before entering the stone-enclosed yard. "And who the hell would build a practice ground in the middle of freaking nowhere?"  
  
He gave me a wide smile. Who, indeed. A cocky Dragonlord with a Window to anywhere in the universe.  
  
I watched as Morrolan set up a protection spell to prevent our swords from doing damage. Then he gestured and the torches planted along the perimeter of the grounds flared into flame. Show off. There was still daylight, but the furnace was low, blocked from sight by the wall.  
  
Soon we had stretched out and Morrolan had waited patiently while I shadow fenced to warm up. We faced each other for real, Morrolan wielding a rapier that could have been the twin of my own and taking a guard position that presented only his right side.  
  
I must have shown my surprise on my face. "I did," Morrolan said snidely, "grow up in the East. What style of swordplay did you think I was taught out there?"  
  
"Oh that's right!" I said disingenuously, parrying a cut towards my neck as Morrolan lunged forward. "How many centuries old were you before you figured out you weren't an Easterner?"  
  
"Watch it, Jhereg," Morrolan said in a low voice, though there was a fierce exhilaration under it that I understood perfectly. It was the way fencing always affected me too. He stabbed past my guard and very nearly got a cut in, so I relaxed into the state of intense concentration I fought in and began to really get into the contest.  
  
Fencing with Morrolan was great. I _had_ been getting sick of Dzur Mountain. Living for a month inside a tomb of rock was difficult after the past years of sleeping under the open sky, traveling by foot so that I had to walk long distances each day. I warmed to the exercise and found myself assessing Morrolan's technique, searching for a weakness, an opening...  
  
Morrolan's sword swept down into my neck, which was terrifying, by the way, and my body trembled under the force of the blow as the spell that protected Morrolan from beheading me deflected his sword.  
  
I jerked away and couldn't stop from feeling the side of my neck in search of damage. Recovering, I resumed a guard position and attacked, saying lightly, "Point for the Dragonlord" as though my nerves weren't still trembling.  
  
Morrolan barely recovered in time.  
  
I fell into the fierce concentration of fencing again, watching my footwork closely because it felt rusty. He didn't make any mistakes, wasn't reaching too far or leaving any part of himself open to attack. But then, neither was I. We each held our own for a long time, and I realized I had no clue who would win if it came to a test of stamina.  
  
A moment later I was staring in shock at my chest, where the point of Morrolan's sword had bounced off the protective spell and left again, barely slow enough for the eye to track. My body had leapt back instinctively without my conscious command, which is how I always was during a battle, but I'd been too slow.  
  
Damn all this steel I was hauling around. One of the things I'd done during my month at Dzur Mountain was become paranoid again. Which means I'd found a large number of weapons and stowed them about my person. Now, however, they were weighing me down.  
  
Before Morrolan could start again, I held up a hand. "Hold on a moment," I said, walking over to the wall of the practice grounds. Morrolan watched as I began removing various weapons from my pants. When I realized how long it would take to get everything out of my jerkin, I just took the shirt off, placing it beside our cloaks and sword belts, which we'd both removed earlier.  
  
I walked back to where Morrolan stood, the slight glean of sweat on my chest from our previous two fights cooling in the breeze. Morrolan was staring at me with an odd expression on his face.  
  
"I know," I said, "that I would have all that extra weight in a real sword fight, which is why I usually practice fully armed. But give me a little slack if I'm going to fight one-on-one with the best Dragaeran swordsman currently living."  
  
Morrolan nodded, utterly failing to notice that I'd qualified my compliment with "Dragaeran" rather than "best swordsman." I'd thought that would win some points in our perpetual verbal war, but he seemed too distracted to notice. I watched as he took a deeper breath than seemed necessary and raised his sword.  
  
I was the first to strike, and he barely parried. What the hell was wrong with him? "Come on, Morrolan, my hairy chest isn't that disgusting. Gees, you're as bad as Aliera."  
  
He smiled then and the energy came back to his strokes. We were soon battling as fiercely as before.  
  
The furnace set completely and the flickering light from the torches made it harder to judge distances and timing, but I could feel myself gaining. Perhaps... yes he was, his line was a bit too high to fully cover his side. I feigned at his side, causing him to swing off-balance to parry. Then I made my move, sword point hitting his chest as my momentum carried me inside his hasty attempt at defense.  
  
My sword felt funny; it was definitely resting against something solid, but it was a full inch off Morrolan's chest. My other hand, which was pressed to Morrolan's back to aid my sword in spitting him, which it would have done if we'd been battling for real, was pressed against his shirt, not the invisible barrier. I wondered how this spell worked.  
  
I suddenly realized we were too quiet except for harsh pants of breath and looked up at Morrolan, who was staring down at me as though... I hastily removed my hand from his back and realized I should have stepped back moments ago.  
  
That was when Morrolan kissed me. I'm not sure if that does it justice. Our lips met, but it was more like a continuation of the battle than a kiss. I froze, but it didn't seem to phase him that I wasn't kissing back. My mind was working too slowly for me to realize what was happening, and before I knew it Morrolan had released me and stepped away, still breathing hard.  
  
He met my eyes, daring me to ask him what I was in fact about to ask him, which was, "What the hell was that?"  
  
The Dragonlord shrugged, turning away to head towards our cloaks and weapons. I got the impression he was hurt. Shit. I moved to catch up with him, though I had no idea what I was about to say. "Look, Morrolan, it's nothing to do with you, I just, I don't, um, not with _guys_..."  
  
He whirled to face me. "Are you quite sure, Vlad? Tell me this doesn't affect you at all..." He grabbed me then and I didn't resist, just stood there as his arms went around me and he pressed his sweaty body against mine, his lips at my shoulder, my neck, and his hands running down my bare back, my sides, his fingertips reaching below the hem of my pants teasingly.  
  
It wasn't as though it didn't feel good. And, well, I'd been alone for a month in Dzur Mountain. His lips found mine again and it was slow and needy, and I found my body responding.  
  
What the hell was I doing? This was _Morrolan_, damnit. He was _male_. _I_ was male.  
  
His hands were on my ass, crushing me into him, and I realized what it was that was poking so hard into my stomach. I jerked away.  
  
The expression on Morrolan's face was pure sex. I shivered under his gaze. He didn't seem upset that I'd pushed him away though. He reached one hand out to cup my face, to trail down my chest, following the line of hair that disappeared into my pants. I swallowed. He dropped his hand without going any further downward.  
  
"Was my blood good?" he asked.  
  
I nodded, remembering how wonderful it had felt to feed. I'd already admitted to myself that it was better than sex. But Morrolan wasn't asking for merely sharing blood this time. I asked anyway. "Is that what you want, Morrolan, to give me blood?"  
  
He looked at me as though he were trying to figure me out. "If that's what you want," he finally said.  
  
I was relieved. I didn't want to lose Morrolan as a friend, and I had one hell of a hard-on that begged to be satisfied. I might not be completely comfortable with feeding off people, but I was a hell of a lot more comfortable with it than with anything else Morrolan might want to do.  
  
I looked around the torch-lit yard. "Here?" I asked.  
  
Morrolan smiled and gestured as he teleported in a pile of thick blankets, which he spread on the ground. I was feeling less and less comfortable with this. And then Morrolan stripped.  
  
He turned to me as he folded his clothes and told me to go ahead and sit down. I, um, didn't hear him.  
  
"Have you never seen a Dragaeran naked before, Vlad?" Morrolan asked, infinitely amused.  
  
I stopped gawking and closed my mouth firmly, largely because he was insufferably arrogant enough without me stroking his ego with something like, "Gosh. You're huge."  
  
I sat on the spread of blankets, though stiffly, and felt Morrolan sit beside me, very close. "Take your boots off at least," Morrolan said, slightly irritated. "I'm not going to rape you, you know. If you don't want me, I'll contain my disappointment, but at least admit that you enjoyed drinking my blood as much as I enjoyed giving it to you."  
  
I looked at him and then away, but I took my boots off and settled down on my back. You could see stars here, just like out East. It was utterly silent too, a quiet I hadn't gotten in the Dragaeran countryside, but that I remembered from my brief treks across deserts. Well, mainly from my journey to the Paths of the Dead, with Morrolan. We'd camped in the desert then too. I wondered if he'd wanted me then. That was barely a day or two after we'd met.  
  
"Vlad," said Morrolan who, I should mention, was lying beside me completely naked. "You realize this is going to be almost as intimate as sex. Maybe more so, with the psionic link that seems to accompany it."  
  
I looked at him and saw the desire in his eyes. My gaze went downward and I saw just how aroused he was. I felt shocked all over again at how big he was. But I reached for him, took his hand and turned it so I could settle my mouth on his wrist. His other hand... I tried not to watch as he slid his free hand down his body, as he held himself, as he... I bit down hard and felt my whole body convulse in pleasure as the blood spilled hot down my throat. I could hear Morrolan's thoughts now. I suppose I was in more control than when I'd done this while so weak a month ago.  
  
He was mentally crying out in pleasure, wordlessly, even as I heard his breath come hard and needy and watched his hand move up and down as he drowned in the pleasure my bite was creating.  
  
My body was throbbing with need. I don't even remember unfastening my pants, slipping my hand inside to follow Morrolan's example. I hadn't drunk much blood at all when I felt both of us reach the end of our resistance. Morrolan cried out. I couldn't make a sound with his blood in my mouth, but I know my psionic voice was a ragged scream as I thrust myself harshly into my hand, riding Morrolan's release even before I came myself.  
  
I don't remember a thing after that, but I must have released his wrist, which I'd probably torn to shreds. We lapsed into unconsciousness.

* * *

A while later, I woke up and found Morrolan's eyes open as he stared at the stars above us. I couldn't help glancing down his body to see how he looked when he wasn't erect. It was still impressive. I felt my own body stirring as I looked at him and wondered if I'd always responded to males and just never realized it. No, I didn't find Kragar attractive. Or Savn. Or any guys I'd known in the Jhereg. But Morrolan... my gaze was on his smooth chest, so different from an Easterner's body. I was curious about him in a way that I would feel about a cute girl I passed on the street. And I had to admit how arousing it had been while we were psionically linked to hear him repeat my name over and over in his mind as he reached release.  
  
I looked back at Morrolan's face, wondering whether he'd caught me checking him out. It took me a moment to realize there were silent tears running from his eyes into his black hair.  
  
I thought I had a good idea what was upsetting him. He'd made his move and I'd shot him down. This must have been a long time coming too, with as long as we'd known each other.  
  
I stared upwards at the night sky and said quietly, "It's not that I don't want you, you know."  
  
He jumped and dried his eyes with his hand. He didn't turn to face me, but he didn't turn away either.  
  
I told the stars, "I think I just need to get over the idea of doing things with another guy."  
  
Morrolan rolled onto his side to face me then, and I turned my head to meet his eyes. "Do you find me attractive?" he asked, curious.  
  
I cleared my throat, wondering if he'd read my thoughts a few moments ago and wondering how I could blush after what we'd done tonight. "I, uh, you're good looking, Morrolan, I mean for a Dragaeran."  
  
He smiled at my attempt to joke. "Let me ask a different question then," he said, resting a hand on my far shoulder. He began to trail it over my skin, lightly, fingertips caressing. "Close your eyes and tell me how this feels." I did, shivering suddenly in the warm night air. I could hear him shifting position beside me and then there were two hands on my skin and they were brushing down my thighs. I felt myself harden, and he silently continued his caresses. It occurred to me then how caring his touch was. Morrolan wasn't just attracted to me; there were deeper emotions involved. That probably scared me more than the voice in my head that kept reminding me, 'This is a guy who's touching you.'  
  
Morrolan continued silently to caress my lower body through my clothes, to touch my bare chest and arms and neck and make me shiver. Cowardly, I kept my eyes closed. There was a tension in his grip upon my body, and he massaged the muscles of my legs for a few moments. Then his hands strayed toward my groin, slowly deliberately circling, trailing towards and away and always coming back.  
  
My breathing was fast. I was hard, really hard. And I wanted him to touch me, but there was no way I was going to admit it. Damn it, Morrolan, quit playing around and just...  
  
His hands settled firmly on top of me, clutching me and massaging through my pants. I lifted up to press into his warm hands, wanting more. I felt Morrolan's body shift, felt what his demanding hands were continuing to do to me, then gasped in surprise when his lips crushed into mine.  
  
I kissed him back. Hard. My arms wrapped over his shoulders to pull him against me, even though it meant his hands could not continue. We kissed hard and fiercely until I had to break away to breathe. Morrolan moved away and rose onto his knees, which caused my eyes to settle on his groin and note how thoroughly aroused he was. He was bending over me, hands at my waist again, and I realized he was undressing me.  
  
I lay there passively as I let him take off my pants and underwear. I was more than a little self-conscious. By now I was stretched to my greatest length, aroused more than I'd thought I could be in bed with another guy, but Morrolan wasn't just big, he was huge. I doubted any Easterner on the planet could come close to that size, and certainly I...  
  
I stopped my mental worrying when I felt Morrolan's hands close on my naked groin, felt him gently touch me just right, gliding over me smoothly again, and again. I groaned and then he was kissing me, harshly, needily, and his hands on me were firm, demanding. This was what I wanted, I said with absolute certainty. I heard his chuckle and realized that we were somehow psionically linked again. Morrolan's doing, I'm sure. No wonder he seemed to know exactly what I wanted. Gods...  
  
I found myself reaching out, grabbing his enormous hardness, feeling him warm and solid in my fist. I could sense Morrolan's pleasure then, his need. I began to touch him as he was touching me.  
  
I could hear his thoughts and desires and responded to them automatically, just as he was doing to me. But when his mental voice finally rang out sharply with, _"Gods, stop!"_ it took me a moment to realize he wanted me to quit. It was his own hands stilling that finally got through to me. I was so close. I released him and Morrolan wrapped his arms around me, crushing us together.  
  
I kissed him and he lay still and reveled in it. I'd gotten over the strangeness of being with a man, and I'd always prided myself on being a damn good kisser. That thought must have gotten across to Morrolan because he laughed psionically and assured me it was only one of my many skills.  
  
He rolled us then and I let him take control, my breath quickening impossibly as his lips traveled down my chest. _"Do you want it?"_ he asked me psionically as his fingers and lips played around with my thighs and lower stomach.  
  
I answered and then cried out as his mouth sank over me. He was, well, amazing. Of course he was helped by my mental clues. _"Yes, that!"_ I told him enthusiastically when he did it just right. He was seriously fucking me with his mouth when I realized I was going to come. He stopped just like that, and I groaned in need.  
  
Morrolan laughed as he moved back up my body and ran both hands through my hair. "Not yet, Vlad," he whispered, speaking out loud instead of psionically for the first time in years. He was curled up along my body and I could feel his huge length resting on my thigh.  
  
I suddenly had a scary thought. I mean, just because I'd never fooled around with another guy before didn't mean I didn't know a little about what was involved. And there was no way he could fit that thing into me without breaking something.  
  
Morrolan was back to speaking psionically now, possibly because it was more intimate. More likely he was doing it to spare me the embarrassment of saying certain things out loud, even in the middle of nowhere with no one to hear. _"Relax, Vlad,"_ he said softly. _"I won't do anything to hurt you. I was thinking maybe we could try it the other way around..." _I got his mental image of what he wanted and shivered all over, found myself getting even more aroused and realized I was still very close.  
  
_"Morrolan, I..."_ I drew in a mental breath slowly. _"I don't know how."  
_  
_"I'll teach you,"_ he told me. _"That is, if you want..."  
_  
I wiped sweat from my face with the back of my hand. _"Yes,"_ I breathed.  
  
Morrolan turned so he lay on his side with his back to me. I ran my hands down the long curve of his spine and he shivered. I loved, absolutely loved, having this much power over him. I know Morrolan caught that thought too. My hands went around to his chest then ended up in the inevitable spot.  
  
I played with him, knowing it was torturing him, that he wanted it fast and hard and _now_, damnit.  
  
I laughed at his desperate pleas and curled up against his back. That quieted him; he was trembling in anticipation. _"Your fingers first,"_ he told me, and his mental voice was hoarse with desire. I did as I was told, deciding it wasn't too much different than... Morrolan was gasping. I explored him some before replacing my fingers with what he really wanted. I stopped pushing in when I felt the waves of pain from him. _"Just do it,"_ he growled.  
  
I did, and with the pain came an amazing feeling of pleasure, both mine and his, and I found myself clutching him, both of my hands pumping up and down over his sensitive skin. Then I pulled myself out, still working his hardness with my hands. Despite the wonder of the new sensations, I was already on the edge, and damned if I was going to get off before him. So I moved only slowly into and out of Morrolan's hot body, causing a constant string of begging and cursing from the tortured Dragon.  
  
We were both crying out, verbally and otherwise, and I felt his body tense as I brought my hands down harshly, then up, down again and pushing myself in to the hilt as we both lost it completely with ragged cries that I was sure could be heard for miles.

* * *

The furnace was visible high in the sky when I woke up. I was warm from it, my entire body relaxed, refreshed. I turned to find Morrolan still asleep, then gasped and came fully awake as I saw how burnt his skin was. I glanced down at my naked body and cringed. Then I laughed, imagining Aliera's face... Sethra's face... when the both of us returned, hours and hours after we should have, and burned thoroughly on only one side.  
  
My laughter awoke Morrolan, and it was even funnier when he didn't realize what was so funny. Surely he'd noticed how red I was? I just gestured at the two of us through the laughter, and finally he got it.  
  
He charged at me, pinning me beneath him and kissing me harshly. I gasped, not just from the sudden desire shooting through me, but damn, the sunburn hurt. Morrolan raised himself up on his elbows, frowning. "Well, I can see this is going to be a bigger problem than I thought. I'm not a healer though. We'll need Aliera..."  
  
He stopped, apparently catching the horrified look on my face. He smiled kindly then, "No, Vlad, if you don't want anyone to know what we've done together, I won't be the one to tell them. We'll just suffer with the burns then. With clothes on, it will merely look as though our faces were burned while we were sparring."  
  
I smiled at the word "sparring," though I can't say why that sounded sexual, but Morrolan smiled back. We sat up and gently tugged on clothing over the burns. It was downright hot outside and with the clothing I immediately began sweating. I couldn't wait for a cold shower at Dzur Mountain.  
  
It was awkward then, as Morrolan rolled the blankets up and tossed them in the corner and we picked up our swords and cloaks. "You know," I said, as we left the practice grounds and stood in front of Morrolan's Window. "This was rather good exercise. I'm sure Sethra will agree that I'll need it on a regular basis, don't you?"  
  
He smiled then, kissed me once, slowly, then broke away and stepped through the Window. We didn't touch again, though there was no one in Morrolan's tower but us. It almost felt like we were different people, now that we were back in the familiar world. I shivered and was glad that I'd spoken before we'd come back. Morrolan teleported me to Dzur Mountain, but stayed in Castle Black.  
  
Loiosh didn't land on my shoulder when he saw me. He knew I was burned there just as well as he knew what I'd done last night, what I'd discovered about myself and Morrolan. He flew with me as I walked to my rooms, chattering about a chreotha nest near one of the more often used doors into the Mountain that someone should probably take care of. He didn't ask me if I'd gone mad, or tell me that male jhereg didn't mate with other male jhereg and how the hell could a male Easterner mate with a male Dragaeran. He just licked worriedly at my sunburned face and told me I should get something to eat.  
  



End file.
